Taikatalvi
by Starkalfheim
Summary: Loki's Asgardian sentence is dealt; swift and brutal. But when Tony finds himself face to face with something more akin to torture than justice he feels himself beginning to forgive...but what more than that? (Post-Avengers Frostiron)
1. The Binding of Loki

**1. The Binding of Loki**

* * *

Returning to Asgard, returning _home_, Thor had never been further from feeling at ease. Was it too much to ask for peace? To regain what they once held in childhood?

How things had changed. How _they _had changed.

A sharp wind bit at his neck as they began to walk the long, slow path to the citadel. If Loki felt the chill he did not show it. His eyes were fixed ahead, red rimmed with fatigue but no less venomous. Thor tried to hold his gaze, searching those eyes for a sign, a shard of feeling, a whisper of anything but the violence he had witnessed on Midgard. Nothing. He was met with nothing but ice.

He suppressed a shudder.

He reached out his hand to guide Loki forward, but a distinct glare and jagged movement served to ward him off.

It seemed that despite it all, his brother's pride remained as strong as ever. He would have smiled, had his heart not been so heavy.

Waves of light pooled weakly beneath their feet as they walked. The Bifrost was naught but a shattered remnant; a relic of its former glory. Its once luminous surface was dulled and the colour had been bled from its bones. Its _broken _bones.

Familiar figures waited ahead, armed and armoured and looking as though they were ready to kill without question. Could he blame them, given what had come to pass? As they neared Thor searched their faces and tried to judge what their thoughts held. He didn't need to search for long to find the hatred he expected to see. Sif's eyes blazed with a fury he had seen only in Asgard's darker moments.

_Was this one of them? _

The weight he carried in his chest told him that for himself, at least, the world was a bleaker place.

He gazed sideways at Loki as he strode beside him. The god's expression had not changed. It remained set, even as Hogun spat at his feet as he passed.

Thor knew that behind Loki's muzzle hid a wolfish grin.

A cry from above drew Thor's eyes to the darkened sky. Black against grey, two ravens pierced the cloud cover.

It seemed the Allfather was expecting them. His message was clear: _your fate awaits you._

The citadel rose before them. Even in the halflight, its vast walls shone. With a deep, thunderous fanfare of crunching bolts the doors of the palace ground on their hinges to reveal the ominous figure of Odin, standing atop the throne's dais. Though his face was in shadow, Thor's stomach contracted in something resembling fear.

The knot remained as, stepping forward, two guards swam in from the wings, grasping Loki roughly by the shoulders. He was forced forward, pressed to his knees before the Allfather and, as the guards retreated into the shadows, left as the solitary figure in the centre of the vast chamber. Thor dared not move. His knuckles whitened around Mjolnir's hilt as he could do naught but look on, helpless, as Loki knelt before the dais.

_Kneeling. The black irony rung hollow through the chamber._

The shaft of light that illuminated Loki's form from behind, streaming though the open doors, slowly narrowed as they closed, the echo of ancient hinges dulled by the silence that filled the hall.

Loki barely moved as his gaze shifted up to the Allfather. Thor saw it, watching from the shadows. He saw the flare of pride as he tilted his chin up and fixed his unwavering gaze on his would-be ruler. Defiant.

_The wolf snapping at the hunter's wrist._

Slowly, painfully, Odin's staff beat against the chamber floor as a sign that – Thor cursed at the thought – _justice_ would be dealt.

~oOo~

Tony ran a hand through his hair and suppressed a sigh – it was going to be a long day. The crowds of workmen were beginning to disperse, leaving him alone in the middle of the lounge with a mug of sweet, steaming coffee in his hand. He was exhausted. There was no other word for it. _Exhausted. _

Fury had made repairing the tower a priority in the cleanup operation: it was theirs now - The Avengers. They needed it to be a working base as soon as possible and that wasn't going to happen with downed security systems and blown-out windows. But that meant _Tony_ had to deal with strangers running into every nook they deemed repairable. Of course, they were SHIELD approved strangers, but strangers none the less. Tony was more than aware that it only took one of them to attempt to sate their curiosity, to wander into somewhere they shouldn't…

He stopped himself. He needed to get things in order.

Pepper would have been able to cope. She'd have coordinated the entire process, dealt with the press, dealt with Fury and still found time to tell Tony where to be and when.

But she was gone. She was long gone.

He took a sip of his too-hot coffee. It was going to be a painful, _dragging_ day.

~oOo~

Thor turned cold as the words began to sink in.

_"…guilty of his crimes…"_

He took a step towards his brother.

_"…in accordance with the creed laid down by my father…"_

Guards glided in from wings to pull Loki roughly up by the arms.

_"…and his father before him…"_

The Allfather's staff was raised.

_"…I, Odin Allfather…"_

Still Loki stared, head held high.

_"…do condemn you to banishment."_

The moment the staff touched the floor, Loki was gone. No sound. No light. Unceremonious. Thor's breath caught in his throat.

_Goodbye, Loki._

~oOo~

There was darkness. Darkness and silence, nothing more. It was painful. His eyes strained to see something. Anything. As if in reply, the darkness intensified to such a level that he found himself closing his eyes, finding the action something akin to _reassuring._

He was exhausted. He hadn't realised it before but now it came over him in a wave that left him lead-heavy. He raised his hands and ran them down his face. The muzzle was gone, a definite relief. He massaged his jaw where it had dug in and opened and closed his mouth, finding the movement painful after clenching his teeth for so long.

Something cold and sharp caught his skin but didn't split it. Bringing a tentative hand to his wrist he felt a band of metal, the surface etched and uneven. Runes? If they were he didn't recognise them. Uncertain movements told him that there was a band on his other wrist as well, the same engravings feeling cold under his fingertips.

He needed light; he needed to see where he was. He opened his eyes…_darkness_…and readied his hands before him. Barely audible, the incantation rolled off his tongue. Even as a whisper, the words grated in his throat as evidence of his long-held silence. He tilted his palm, the final word little more than a hiss as it passed his dry lips.

His actions were rewarded with a blot of searing pain as the bands on his wrists became impossibly tight, tearing a growl of agony from his throat and causing his pulse to soar. He thrust his hands before him, but he was still blind. The pain wasn't subsiding.

His breathing was ragged.

When a deep, helish voice snarled through the darkness, a shudder ran down his spine.

"You will wish yourself dead, Laufeyson."

~oOo~


	2. Svartalfheim

**A/N**: Thank you so much to everyone who's read/reviewed so far; your support means so much!

Here we go...

**2. Svartalfheim**

* * *

The moon had completed its slow cycle in the heavens by the time Thor was summoned to the Royal Chamber. Asgard had begun to settle. Not a word had been spoken regarding Loki's banishment; not a soul dared to even mutter the name of Laufeyson. All but Thor.

Now, as he strode through the palace towards the centre of the citadel, fear was turning in his mind. Not for himself. Not for the realms.

For Loki.

The gates groaned their greeting as they were hauled open by guards who avoided Thor's intense stare. Odin was there. Upon his golden throne he barely moved as Thor halted before him. He did not kneel.

"You worry, do you not?" Odin spoke in a measured tone, never averting his gaze from Thor's. Thor knew he was watching him, reading every minute movement. He raised his chin.

"Yes."

There was a pause. Thor could almost see Odin debating with himself.

At length he spoke. "Do you believe it unwise to leave Laufeyson's banishment to Svartalfheim unchecked?"

Thor bristled at Odin's avoidance of Loki's name.

Odin was a fool. Loki's banishment was in the name of protection, but Thor was all too aware of the danger it would bring to Asgard's borders.

He saw the danger because he _knew _Loki - knew him better than anyone in the Nine Realms. He knew that solitude allowed Loki's bitterness to grow. He knew Loki had fought all his life to keep his head above the water. He knew that however hard he tried, Loki would always slip beneath the tide. The mask Loki wore was his armour; Thor could see the mind working behind his piercing eyes, the grimace behind the smile. The pain behind the laughter.

The heart behind the hatred.

_That _was something Loki his well. In Thor's presence, not well enough.

Thor wanted to stop the rising tide before it was too late.

"Yes."

The Allfather leant forward slightly. "Would it set your mind at ease to see that his sentence is being served?"

Thor's pulse increased. "It would."

"Very well," Odin took something from among the folds of his cloak and threw it to Thor. "You have four journeys. Use them well."

Thor turned the small object in his hand. It sat in his palm; a round metallic brooch formed in the shape of Yggdrasil. Thor had only seen one once before. As children, he and Loki had crept into the armoury, marvelling at the stolen relics and the stories they held. There they had found a clasp like this, before being found themselves. Was it the same clasp, he wondered, that he now held in his palm?

Thor looked up at the Allfather and nodded.

"Four journeys," Odin echoed. "You know how to use it."

~oOo~

Tony's workshop was his sanctuary. Despite the noise, the heat, the smell of soldered metal, it felt like the only place he could find some semblance of peace. To be able to let his mind wander, shaping and reshaping both thought and matter until something tangible appeared; _that _was more than chemical bonds and theory. That was conjuration. It was the closest thing to magic the human race was capable of and he relished every moment of it.

His mind was so consumed by the spitting, hissing metal before him that he didn't notice a figure descending the stairs to the workshop. JARVIS announced their presence:

"Agent Barton to see you, sir."

Tony lifted his welding mask and turned to see Clint stepping into the workshop. The SHIELD agent nodded pointedly to the welding bench.

"New project?" He asked.

Tony ignored Clint as he wandered over to the workspace and started absent-mindedly rifling through the toolbox. "Something like that. Who told you the code?"

"Nobody. They didn't need to."

Tony raised an eyebrow and wandered over to the security panel. Clint smiled to himself without looking up.

"The mob's gone – should be safe to resurface." Clint called across the workshop.

"Huh?" Tony was muttering to himself, keying in the occasional number.

"The workmen," Clint said, crossing the floor to lean against the glass panels by the staircase. "They've finished. Fury says we're back online – he wants to see you as soon as possible. Now might be a good time to crawl back out of the Pit of Science and rejoin humanity. We've barely seen you for days."

"Sounds like you missed me," Tony cooed. "Don't worry baby, this pretty face isn't going anywhere."

Now it was Clint's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Whatever you say, Stark. Now get your ass upstairs before Fury comes looking you himself."

~oOo~

When the tip of a wicked, barbed blade was pressed to the apex of his jaw, Loki did nothing but grit his teeth. Slowly, agonisingly slowly, the searing pain was drawn along his jaw and a hot trickle rolled down his neck. There was a pause, before the blade returned to flash dangerously close to his eye. They expected him to flinch. They expected him to cry out.

But he'd dealt with worse. Much, _much_ worse.

A defiant grin bloomed across his face.

"You'll have to do better than that." He spat.

~oOo~

Thor emerged into darkness. His hand was still pressed to the clasp, now fixed to his armour. The thought that had sent him between the realms still whispered in his mind:

_IwanttofindLokiIwanttofindLo kiIwanttofindLoki…_

The first journey.

The darkness was beginning to dissipate. He stepped forward as the shape of a figure became visible through the shadows, and his heart all but stopped when he saw what lay before him.

A figure was slumped against the jagged wall of what he now saw to be a cavern, the walls glistening with moisture and echoing with the occasional drip form a stalactite. The figure was strung up by chains bracketed directly into the living rock, bound by bands passed about their wrists that had already cut bleeding ridges into their skin. One arm hung at an unnatural angle. Was it bone he could see pressing against the skin?

The figure's chest rose and fell in a shallow, painful rhythm. Their eyes were clamped shut and every muscle was contorted into the same image; pain.

"Loki?"

~oOo~

He had heard his name. He was sure of it.

_He had heard Thor say his name._

He didn't know if he should open his eyes; he would only see shadows. He had stared and stared until his eyes burnt but the darkness never left him. It clung to him like a mist. He could feel it crawling on his skin, pricking his eyes. It was choking; dark fingers closing around his throat and slowing the blood in his veins.

He had lost his sense of time. The only measurable entity he felt was pain and that had subsided. The blessed relief was unnerving. The anticipation sent his pulse racing. His thoughts wouldn't settle.

And now the thought he heard Thor.

The effort of looking up made his head swim, but he tried. Sure enough, there was darkness.

But he didn't need to see. When a hand gently, so, so gently, cupped the back of his head and supported it he knew what he had heard was no illusion.

"Thor?" He whispered. Even the slight movement caused the innumerable cuts around his mouth to reopen.

"What have they done to you?" The familiar voice whispered.

"No more than I deserve," he managed. "Not if your father is to be believed."

"Nobody deserves this, least of all you. This was to be your chance at redemption…"

"Perhaps I am unworthy of such a chance."

"You are wrong."

Slowly, the hand left the back of his neck so as not to cause him any more pain. Thor swore as he tested the chains. From the sounds he heard next he presumed Thor then tested their strength against that of Mjolnir, to no effect.

Loki could feel his strength fading as he spoke. "These chains stronger even than Gleipnir, Thor, no Asgardian hands could break them."

"Then I must seek those of another realm," the hand returned for a moment, the gentle touch sending shudders across his skin. "I will return, Loki.

"_I will._"

~oOo~

The Midgardian air was thick and clinging when Thor alighted on the landing pad at Stark Tower.

_StarkTowerStarkTowerStarkTow er…_

The second journey.

His heart was racing. Tony's machines would have told them of his presence by now. He only had to wait.

He began pacing. The fury of what he had seen inflicted on Loki coursed through his veins. Odin couldn't have intended such a punishment? Surely he didn't know of the brutality that had taken place while his gaze was averted? He could not wish such cruelty on he who he had raised as his own.

Surely not.

"Thor!" Tony strode from the tower, beaming and with arms spread wide in greeting.

His smile faded the moment he saw the blood on Thor's hands.

~oOo~


	3. The Heart of a God

**A/N**: I'm afraid the situation with Loki has to get worse before it can get better...

**3. The Heart of a God**

* * *

Tony was silent. He'd never seen Thor as serious as he saw him now. Thunder rolled outside as the god paced before the fire, words pouring for him in an unending torrent. There was such anger behind his eyes.

Such _pain_.

He gripped Mjolnir so tightly his knuckles looked as though they were going to split. The god shook, physically _shook_, with the flood of emotion Tony watched being played out before him.

Sheets of rain clawed at the windows.

"…chained like an animal in that cavern. What justice is this? WHAT JUSTICE!?"

Thor's roar sent lightning streaking across the skyline. Tony tensed and sank back in his chair. He had never been more aware of the power the god held in his grip. He could destroy them, all of them, with nothing but the pain he felt for Loki.

Tony's heart broke as he watched him.

The thunder subsided, the god now staring intently at the scientist.

There was _such pain_; the mighty stripped back to reveal a heart left bare by all he held dear. Looking at him now, Tony saw the forced detachment – the distance he had put between himself and Loki, the one personhe cared for in all the worlds, because to remain close would be to _feel;_ to burn up inside knowing that whatever he did, he couldn't save Loki from himself.

Knowing that Loki's nature was born of Thor's pride.

"I was a fool," Thor spoke so quietly Tony could barely hear him. "I was a fool to return him to Asgard. It never was and never will be a realm of mercy."

He moved to the fireside, staring into the heart of the flames. Amber shadows cast themselves across his face, and for a moment Tony saw a smile pull at the sides of his mouth, a memory long-passed caught in the shifting light. But it was fleeting.

He looked up at Tony and spoke in a tone more serious than any he had heard.

"Stark…I implore you, as a Shield Brother, as a friend; help me.

"Help _him_."

~oOo~

Deep in the realm of Svartalfheim, the halls rang with the cries of Laufeyson.

~oOo~

Tony let the enormity of the situation sink in.

A god, a living, breathing _god _was asking him to play saviour. To Loki. A creature of brutality who had now found brutality forced upon him.

He was asking Tony to show mercy to one who had not.

_Shit._

Tony knew the concept of a second chance all too well. What was he before Afghanistan, but another warmonger on the road to destruction? He could have given in; taken the path of least resistance and continued into oblivion. But he didn't.

Yes, Loki had killed. But who among them could claim to be free from that burden? _He_ certainly couldn't.

And what would it make him if he denied Loki the chance of redemption he was given himself?

Merciless.

"Tell me what I need to do."

~oOo~

"Get in.

"Get Loki.

"Get out."

_He made it sound so fucking simple._

He was going to a place he didn't know existed, using magic he didn't understand to find a god whose temperament he couldn't predict…

_How could this possibly go wrong?_

They were in the workshop, Thor watching intently as Tony was suited up piece by piece by mechanical arms. One piece was missing: the left-hand repulsor gauntlet. He needed to have contact with Thor's Asgardian…._thing._ Like hell did he know what it was! All he knew was that he had two journeys – one there, one back – and that life depended on him being able to make it work first time.

_Great. No pressure then._

"Are you prepared, Stark?" Tony didn't know if Thor was the kind to feel fear, but he thought he heard it in his voice now. Of course, that made Tony feel _so _much better.

"Uh-huh."

"Are you sure? I-"

"Thor, seriously, I'll be fine. Quit making me nervous."

Thor nodded. "Very well."

Tony took a long, slow breath and smiled weakly. He was shitting himself, not that he'd tell Thor; only a fool would be nonchalant about undertaking such a monumental task.

"Right," he said, flipping the front of his helmet down. "See you on the other side."

He turned the small clasp in his palm and repeated the thought over and over and over…

_LokiLaufeysonLokiLaufeysonLo ki…_

~oOo~

Thor had told him to concentrate on the target; to picture it in his mind to stop his thoughts wandering.

_...Loki…_

_He is back at the tower, behind the bar, pouring himself a drink. A tall figure walks towards him, dressed in black and green and with deliberate, predatory movements._

_Flashes of gold catch the sunlight he walks. A grin is spread across his face. Bold green eyes blaze, staring at Tony with an intensity that makes him unable to look away._

_For all the darkness about his appearance he seems so bright._

_And so dangerous._

_Gold and green, black and crimson…_

_Crimson?_

It took him a moment to realise what he was seeing.

Black and gold and green, all smothered with crimson.

"Fucking _hell…"_

The Loki he saw before him now wasn't bright, he wasn't dangerous…

…he looked dead.

The thread pushed through his lips ran with glistening _crimson._

~oOo~


	4. Exposed Nerve

**4. Exposed Nerve**

* * *

Blood.

That was what he saw. Blood.

And in the middle of it all, Loki.

Could Asgardians die? Could they _be killed_?

The god before him now was silent and unmoving - if he wasn't dead he was damn close. Thor was right; this wasn't justice.

This was torture.

And with every second he wasted, he was prolonging the agony.

He moved forward as carefully as the suit would allow, wincing as he got a clearer view of Loki's face. It was not just the expression of utter torment his features had been contorted horrifically into; nor the shuddering, barely visible, that coursed up through him in uneven, laborious bursts as he attempted to breathe past the clots of blood surrounding his nose:

It was his skin.

He'd never been able to imagine it when Thor had described Loki's true heritage. And yet here, before him, was the god of those long-told tales, cloaked in the rich hue of blue that takes the sky before sunrise and adorned with the war paint of his own blood as he fought to stay alive.

Tony was beginning to wonder how much more fucked up the situation could get.

He got as close as he dared and lifted his visor, "Loki?"

The god's eyes snapped open. _Shit. _He wasn't expecting molten stare held for a moment, then changed to something more in recognition. Whatever that change was, it certainly didn't soften the glare. Tony shifted slightly under the intensity.

It took a moment for Loki's breathing to even out, his chest barely rising. Tony saw the thread binding his lips tighten in defiance to every slight movement the god attempted to make. He was forcing himself to withstand the pain, but Tony could see the agony creeping into his eyes. Even now, bound and mere steps away from death's threshold, his nature was one of defiance – the façade has slipped, perhaps, but only slightly. Did Tony pity him, or respect him? He hadn't quite decided.

"Brace yourself," Tony whispered. "This isn't going to be pretty."

He stepped back, assessing his options.

The brackets for the shackles binding the god were far above Loki's head, with the chains hanging down and joining directly to tight bands about his wrists. His effort would be wasted on the chains themselves; if Thor couldn't destroy them what chance did he stand? But Thor _had _told him of a weakness, perhaps one that magic prevented an Asgardian exploiting, but one that Tony, a mere mortal, could use to his advantage. The rock itself.

Tony lowered his visor and raised his gloved hand, aiming at the rock above the bar of metal bound the cavern wall. He shot a glance to Loki. The fire of the god's gaze pierced the shadows, unwavering.

_Let's just hope this works._

The first blast sent shards of rock across the cavern. The second followed without pause. The roar of metal and rock shook through him as the shot met its target. Loki's arm dropped unceremoniously. The eyes clamped shut. There wasn't time to worry; whatever guards there were in that godforsaken place would be upon them in seconds. The second chain fell more quickly than the first, the roar of the rock mingling with something more. It took Tony a moment to realise that it was Loki, the scream caught in his throat as his mouth refused to open. When he saw the angle Loki's arm was held at, he realised why:

Shattered bone; broken skin.

With his gloveless hand he grasped the god's hand, the Asgardian clasp pressed between their palms. _Shit that's cold!_

"Think of Stark Tower!" He all but shouted. He hoped Loki could hear him. He hoped he could think of something other than the pain.

_StarkTowerStarkTowerStarkTow er…_

The last thing he saw before his vision faded was a figure, a guard, running into the cavern and the gleam of a blade…

The last thing he heard was the sickening thud as the blade met flesh.

~oOo~

The haze across his vision dissipated slowly, the scene before him turning and swimming to resemble the familiar sight of the lounge. Tony instantly became aware of the presence beside him, their palms still pressed together about the clasp. Before Tony had time to draw breath, Loki's knees buckled, eyes still clamped shut as Tony lunged across to catch the god as gently as he could. He hooked one arm under the god's knees and the other across his back, more than aware of the broken arm and the innumerable gashes across his skin.

And the blade, the dagger, protruding boldly from his shoulder.

Lifting him slowly, Tony called out to JARVIS: "Tell Thor we're here, and find Banner. NOW!" He moved towards the corridor leading away from the lounge. "JARVIS, prep the Med Room; tell Banner to meet us there."

He risked a glance down at the defenceless form in his arms. "There's no way I'm letting you die," he murmured.

~oOo~

Pepper would be going crazy. It was madness. He had brought an unpredictable force of nature into his stronghold, his sanctuary, and somehow expected everything to run smoothly. He'd nearly died at the hands of this man, this _god _– they all had. He was the definition of dangerous. Thor had once called him the God of Fire. Somehow, Tony found the name extremely fitting.

_Don't get too close to the flame if you don't want to get burnt._

But what did that matter now? The _god _was dying. Breath by breath he was fading away; Tony could read it in Banner's expression as he slid the blade out of Loki's flesh. He instantly clamped gauze to the wound, wincing at how quickly the clinical white changed to crimson.

Loki looked so out of place: a dark streak set against the stark, white backdrop; blank walls devoid of all embellishment and the monotonous, slow chant of the heart-rate monitor. _Slower and slower_. Loki had fought and fought to become a king. Now his deathbed was his throne and _they _were his subjects, fighting on his behalf.

Fighting to keep him alive.

Banner's head snapped up. "He's crashing."

_What?_

The gleam of a needle; Banner was feeding something into Loki's veins. Adrenalin? Morphine? S_hit. _Would human medicine have any effect, or make it worse?

_Now's not the time to be guessing…_

Thor was there. Maybe others were there too, he couldn't tell. All he saw was Loki. All he heard was the pulse of the ECG. _Slow. Agonisingly slow._

Getting slower.

Thor was at the bedside, hands ghosting over the tubes and wires and midnight skin. He was saying something, over and over and over. _The mighty stripped back to reveal a heart left bare by all he held dear. _The strength of the god failed him. He sunk to his knees, head falling onto Loki's arm. He was screaming now. His voice like thunder shook the very heart of Tony. "Jeg tilgi! JEG TILGI, LILLEBROR!"

The cry of the ECG rung hollow in their ears.

Flatlining.

_No._

Tony couldn't do a thing. Only watch.

The hum of the defibrillator filtered into the recesses of his mind.

Thor was roaring, over and over and over. Raw and damaged.

Like an exposed nerve.

~oOo~


	5. The God and the Machine

**A/N: **My dear readers -

"I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, straining upon the start. The game's afoot. Follow your ship, and upon this charge cry 'love for Loki, Tony and pop-tarts for Thor!'"

**5. The God and the Machine**

* * *

Tony turned in his sleep.

_The darkness was sundered by a flare of light. A body arched upwards, before sinking back into the recesses of the shadows. Tony was rooted – he strained against his paralytic state, pulling and pulling until he felt as though he would tear._

_The blaze returned. The brilliance cast contorted shadows across the writhing figure and the drone of the ECG, heralding death, stretched into the subconscious…_

"Loki!"

Tony was torn out of sleep with the name grating against his throat. He sat bolt upright and stared into the darkness, his breathing ragged, as the remnants of the nightmare – the memory – faded into the night. It left him solitary. Nothing but the soft glow of the arc reactor through the sheets and his pounding heart invaded the night.

_Fuck._

He sunk back into the sheets and drew a shaking hand across his face. "Fuckfuckfuck…"

He allowed himself to lie there, silent and unmoving, while his thoughts and pulse slowed from their racing and his eyes adjusted to the clinging darkness. It had been a long, long time since he'd dreamt _that_ vividly. Not since Afghanistan. Not since he had feared for his life. Only then had he felt frozen; paralysed and powerless in the face of his own mortality.

And now, he feared for Loki.

They had managed to pull him back from the brink. _Just_. Tony had previously wondered whether Asgardians could die, and for a minute he found out they could.

And somehow that was terrifying.

He rolled over and checked the time.

[2:57AM]

He sighed. Throwing off the bedsheets unceremoniously, he rose and pulled on a shirt. There was no chance of him getting back to sleep. Not when he was infinitely aware that a god lay somewhere beneath him, clinging on to life as best he could.

He stepped out into the corridor, closing the door behind him softly, and padded towards the stairwell. He wasn't sure who would be on watch now; they had agreed to take it in turns acting as sentinel and watching over Loki in his uneasy sleep. Thor had refused to let Tony take a post – as Bruce had pointed out, Tony had had one heck of a time getting Loki out of that hell-hole. He needed to rest, to clear his mind.

Apparently his mind had other ideas.

He turned onto the walkway leading to the Med Room and saw a figure silhouetted against the soft light radiating through the window into the room where Loki lay.

"Barton?"

Clint turned his head, smiling in surprise as Tony approached.

"Couldn't sleep?" Clint moved aside to make room for Tony.

"Something like that," He murmured, looking into the room and folding his arms. Stark, clinical light cast harsh shadows across the still god within. Still his midnight shroud remained. At least the blood was gone. And the thread through his lips.

Clint broke the silence. "What the fuck did they do to him?"

Tony shook his head. "They tore him apart. They broke him."

"Who's _they_?"

"Thor said it was an Asgardian sentence. He doesn't know whether his father knew about all this," he nodded pointedly at Loki's unmoving figure, "but he certainly condemned him to it."

"And here I thought they'd just kill him." Clint shifted, and Tony saw the agent turn something in his hand. His bow.

"Looks like you're prepared to," Tony noted, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not taking any chances with this guy," Clint turned his fingers around the bowstring, his eyes fixed on the god. "You only have to see that goddamn smile to know there's more to him than meets the eye. For all we know he could just be waiting for an opportunity. I don't intend to give him one. Sure, he's weak right now, but we don't know how long it'll take for him to be back on his feet. And when he is, you can be sure as hell he won't want to stay peaceful for long. He's hungry for unrest; it's in his nature."

Clint had more reason than most to be guarded around Loki. Clint's mind had been putty in Loki's hands. They heard him sometimes, in his sleep, or when he thought no one could hear – the names of the agents he'd killed were on his breath. It haunted him.

Clint would never forgive himself, let alone forgive Loki.

On the other side of the glass, something caught the light. On the small chair set in the corner closest to the door, Thor turned in his sleep.

For all that _they_ might be feeling, nobody could attempt to guess Thor's mind.

Despite it all, the loyalty he held towards Loki was astounding. He could have given up on him long ago; cut the line between them and left Loki to his fate. But he hadn't. He had fought to hold on to his once-brother. Loki had pushed him away again and again and again, and yet still he held on, following him.

Following him to the ends of the Earth.

Tony didn't know whether that made him a hero or a fool.

Tony's eyes flicked to Loki. The medical equipment looked threatening, looming over the god and plunging tubes into his skin. The tube feeding into his throat looked more like it was choking him than playing savior to his body.

Loki was painfully out of place.

_Painfully._

Tony wondered how long it would take for Loki to recover.

_If _he would recover.

~oOo~

An uneasy morning approached. A sickly-sweet coffee numbed the belated exhaustion that crept up on Tony from the recesses of his sleep-deprived mind. Clint had disappeared when Banner had come to check Loki's vitals, but now Bruce had retired once more and Tony was left alone, staring through the window at the gods and the machines.

Tony glanced at the monitor, taking a sip of his coffee.

Stable heartrate. _I suppose that's something._

He leant forward, flicking a small metallic switch beneath the window. The sounds from within the room were projected from a speaker above Tony's head:

_Beep_

_Beep_

_Beep_

_Schuuuuur_

_Beep_

_Beep_

_Beep_

_Schuuuuur_

The slow chant of the heart-rate monitor was interspersed with long, machine-induced breaths. Tony nodded shallowly.

_Just checking._

He blamed it on the lack of sleep, but he just needed to hear him breathing. Maybe he was worried it would all be another lie, another illusion. But there was something more than that, nagging away at the back of his mind. Something which found the sound of Loki breathing a comfort, a balm.

No, he pushed that thought aside.

He just needed to know he hadn't been fooled.

"Stark!"

The rich voice pulled him back from his thoughts. Thor stepped from the room, closing the door behind him softly. Tony silenced the intercom, cutting Loki off mid-breath. He pretended it didn't bother him, smiling past the thought as Thor approached and put a friendly hand on his shoulder.

"You ought to be resting," Thor said simply.

"And keep me away from all this excitement?"

The god smiled, but his expression grew grave as his looked back into the room.

"You have done me a great service in bringing him here." The severity of Thor's tone sent chills down Tony's spine. He was instantly aware that Thor was looking down at him, but he kept his eyes locked ahead, watching Loki breathing. "We will be hunted, I am certain."

_Breathe in._

"By Asgard?"

"Indeed. And by others, I fear."

_Breathe out._

"I expect they won't appreciate me breaking him out of there, huh?"

"You are under my protection," Thor said forcibly. "When they advance upon us, I will be ready."

_Breathe in_.

"So they _are _coming for us?"

"Almost certainly."

Tony nodded. He'd expected as much.

_Breathe out_.

He looked up at Thor. "We'll be ready for them, whoever they are. They won't know what hit 'em."

"You hold great bravery. You would sacrifice your safety for he who had come close to tearing your world apart. You've a strong heart, Anthony Stark."

Tony smiled inwardly, suddenly all too aware of the Arc Reactor embedded in his chest.

_Breathe in._

Tony glanced back at Loki. "He can be a bastard – a heck of a lot more than a bastard, actually – but he's your brother. Kind of. He fucked up, big time. But he deserves a shot at getting it right…

…we all do."

_Breathe out._

~oOo~


	6. Family Reunion

**A/N: **My apologies for the ridiculously long update time!

**6. Family Reunion**

* * *

The evening was drawing in, and with it a feeling of peace that Tony hadn't felt since the invasion. The lounge was filled with the hum of contented voices, the team was together, and for a while Tony was able to forget; forget about the suit, forget about Pepper, forget about _science _(dare he think it), forget about the god on the brink of death. For the first time in months, for the first time in years, Tony Stark laughed until he was on the verge of tears.

He barely noticed when the lights flickered.

None of them did. None but Thor.

~oOo~

The skies were clear that night, and _that_, at least, gave Thor hope that the night would not be a troubled one. Loki was sleeping peacefully, and Tony's machine had been instructed to alert them to any significant changes. He was tempted to think that the worse was behind them.

But the shift of energy he felt resonating though his bones told a different story.

He looked to the others; the mortals hadn't felt it, of that he was certain. It was deep and raw, like the murmur of a curse. Like an oncoming storm.

_Like the bite of winter._

A shudder took hold of his core.

The lights jumped, and the slight brush of static traced across his skin. Something was searching. Something was _calling_.

Thor's heart sank as the realization hit him.

"Loki…"

~oOo~

Tony's eyes followed Thor as the god silently left the room, hammer in hand, without so much as a glance in their direction. His expression alone was enough to set Tony on edge. Clint shot Tony a wary look, nodding shallowly, and the two of them rose in unison to follow Thor as he worked his way down the stairwell.

Clint broke the silence as they strode after him. "Reckon he knows something we don't?"

"Seems that way. JARVIS," Tony lengthened his strides as he called out to the AI. "Scan the tower; energy signatures, temperature changes, anything and everything. And track Thor's movements, let me know where he's headed."

"Right away, sir…it appears Mr. Odinson has taken the corridor to the Medical Room. Executing scans now."

Clint swore under his breath. "You can be sure as hell that's not a good sign."

"Arm yourself. I'll meet you at the Med Room." Clint nodded and peeled away into an adjoining corridor, leaving Tony to continue alone.

_This can _not _be good._

~oOo~

Thor's head was spinning as he wove through the tower.

With every step it grew stronger; a pulse resonating through his bones, a memory becoming clearer. He was certain now. He had felt it before.

In Jotunheim.

There was an atmosphere to that realm that ensnared you. The burn of frost on your skin was nothing compared to that in your blood, and the land seemed to hum. The ice beneath your feet was imbued with a liquid darkness that seeped into the recesses of your mind and solidified. A clot against your soul.

And here, now, he felt it again. The chill was creeping in.

And as he entered Loki's room, he saw why.

~oOo~

"Give me some stats here, JARVIS. What's going on down there?"

"Records indicate that the temperature in Section C has dropped by 92%, Sir, although additional energy signatures remain undetected."

"Someone left the freezer door open, huh?"

Tony rounded the corner and half-ran into the Med Room, Thor's arm baring his way as soon as he set foot over the threshold. The god didn't look down at him when he spoke.

"Leave, Anthony." The demand was growled through gritted teeth. Tony barely mumbled in protest.

He couldn't tear his gaze from the pair of molten eyes that burned into him from across the room.

S_hit._

It hung over Loki's unmoving form like a shadow, its skin a network of dark scars on darker skin. The curved blade in its hand rested agonisingly on Loki's throat, a sickly, thin fissure of blood running from where the tip had barely pierced the skin. A guttural speech escaped its throat as its eyes ticked from Tony to Thor and rested there.

The voice sounded as ancient as the language; rolling and raw. Its tone was demanding, questioning. The eyes flicked to meet Tony's and a half-smile stretched the contours of its face.

Thor stepped forward, still keeping his arm out to block Tony's path. He replied slowly, in the same harsh tongue, lifting his chin to hold the molten stare.

Tony could feel his heart against his ribcage; hear it pounding in his ears. He wasn't sure which was worse: the fact that he had no idea what was happening, or the fact that it was happening in the first place. Every time those eyes fell on him he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Every time it spoke he shuddered.

Its skin was darker than Loki's. It was hard to tell, but he was sure it was taller, too, and its frame wider. This, then, was Loki's past.

The past that had caught up with him. Tony knew how that felt.

He snapped back as the pressure on the blade increased, a fresh bloody trail tracing down to pool at Loki's collar-bone. Thor growled a threat. The reply was a grating laugh of disbelief.

_Snap_.

Tony felt the air twist as the arrow sailed past his ear, embedding itself in the wall behind where the eyes had been only seconds before.

Tony turned to see Clint, bow in hand striding forward from the shadows. "I had him, damn it! How the _hell_ did it get this far? It must have had to bypass, what, twenty different sensors?"

"No energy signature," Tony mused, as he watched Thor move to Loki's bedside. "Nothing but a change in temperature."

"_Shit,_" Clint ran his hand across his chin. "What do we do now?"

"That is a very good question, Agent Barton," Tony could have died when he heard that voice coming down the corridor behind him. He turned slowly. "But I think a better one to ask right now is 'what the _hell_ is going on?'"

Tony put on a sickly-sweet smile. "Long time no see, Nick! Come for the party?"

"Cut the crap, Stark. I want answers. Now."

~oOo~


	7. Blood Ties

**7. Blood Ties**

* * *

It seemed answers were a little harder to give than expected.

It didn't help that while Fury shone the metaphorical light in Tony's eyes, Thor refused to leave Loki's bedside, remaining silent. Mournfully silent. Which left Tony to talk for two; something which would never usually have been a challenge for the infamous tongue of Tony Stark, but it seemed on this occasion his beguiling ways had deserted him, along with his ability to offer a half-solid explanation.

Yes, he had brought the enemy into the stronghold.

Yes, he had neglected to tell Fury about said enemy.

And yes, it now appeared that the enemies of said enemy were coming for him.

But no, he had no idea how they got here, nor any idea how they could defend themselves.

_Fantastic._

"It seems you've surpassed yourself," Fury cooed, pacing the length of the lounge. "Tell me: was it your intention to put our entire operation at risk?"

"Nick-"

"Because I can find no conceivable explanation as to why a seemingly intelligent, if not entirely reliable, individual such as yourself could possibly consider _this _a sensible course of action."

"You didn't see what they were doing to him," Tony spat.

"And am I supposed to feel _sorry _for him?" Fury took a purposeful step towards Tony. "As far as I'm concerned, you've not only put everyone in this tower, hell, this _city _in danger, but fucked up our relationship with Asgard as well. You better be glad we still have Thor as a go-between, because without him I'd be offering you _and _Loki up to their 'mercy' as reparation for your stupid fucking decision!" He paced a moment before turning back to Tony. "You know who wouldn't stand for this?"

"_Don't you dare_," Tony bristled.

"Damn right you know who I'm talking about. Face it, Stark: without her you're just as much of a reckless asshole as you ever were."

"Pepper has nothing to do with this."

"Oh ple-"

"PEPPER HAS _NOTHING_ TO DO WITH THIS!" He roared, his stare burning at Nick from under his brow. His fists were clenched. His breathing was ragged. He risked a glance to the others; no eye contact from anyone but Bruce.

He couldn't blame them.

Thor's frame filled the doorway; everyone turned to look, glad of the distraction.

"I will not allow Loki to return to Asgard," the god said quietly. Thor gave a small nod to Banner, who rose and left silently. _To take over the post in the Med Room_, Tony guessed. Thor walked in slowly, keeping his distance from the group.

He seemed remote. His eyes were dull, his movements stiff.

His tone reflected his expression; grave. "Nor will I be returning to Asgard. I will remain here, until such a time as Loki has made a full recovery." He nodded politely, solemnly, and moved to the window, opening the glass door that led onto the landing platform.

"And then what?" Natasha asked calmly.

Thor paused halfway. "And then we leave."

The door closed quietly behind him.

The chill of autumn lingered.

~oOo~

Bruce glanced round and smiled as Tony entered the Med Room.

"Fury gone yet?"

"And left a trail of clenched buttocks in his wake, yeah. God, that was painful." He scratched his stubble and raised an eyebrow at the heart rate monitor. "Any change?"

"A little, but for the better. The swellings are less pronounced around the face, the lips in particular, but…" he made a sweeping gesture over Loki's body, "…there's a long way to go. I'll be honest: I've got no idea about Asgardian healing patterns, let alone when they're-" He made a vague hand movement, nodding pointedly.

"Blue and icy?"

"Something like that." He set his clip board down carefully. "You know, that was a low blow Fury pulled back there."

Tony gave a nonchalant smile. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Bruce smiled weakly, the hint clear. Tony internally thanked him for not pressing the subject. The doctor turned to the monitors as a suppressed yawn escaped him, and he rapidly began to look as tired as he ought to be.

"C'mon, you've had, what, three hours of sleep? You should be buzzing!"

"I know, I know. This whole sleep deprivation thing isn't really my forte."

"Well aren't you lucky you've got me to be tired for the both of us," Tony grinned, pointing to the door. "Bed. You get grouchy when you're tired and we all know what a handful you can be when you're grouchy."

Bruce raised a cynical eyebrow.

Tony raised one back. "I'll play doctor for the night, don't worry. Go, go, go!"

"Alright, I'm going! Get JARVIS to wake me up if the readouts change, ok?"

With the sound of Bruce's yawning disappearing down the corridor, Tony found himself alone with the rhythmic sound of Loki's breathing and the ECG.

Calming.

He pulled the chrome chair from the corner to the bedside, sitting so he could watch the monitors at the same time as Loki's face. He paused, taking a moment to study the figure before him: the dark blue skin, raised markings, broken veins beneath the surface; the eyes – not quite shut – glinting beneath their hoods; the long arms – one held in a sling, the other extended – ending in slender hands. How many people had seen Loki like this? They'd all seen the god; the power and the villainous grin. But here was something else. He wouldn't call it vulnerable – _no, Loki was never vulnerable_. Serene, perhaps. Peaceful. It was like seeing the person beneath the façade of wit and hate for the first time.

And _damn it_, Tony couldn't help but find him beautiful.

_Did he just mumble?_

He lent forward, watching Loki's scarred, lightly swollen lips – now free from the imposing breathing tube. There was the slightest movement, the slightest sound.

"Hey, Loki? Loki can you hear me?" He gently put his hand on the god's, feeling the coolness stir beneath his touch. "Attempt world domination if you can hear me."

The molten eyes opened slightly, turning slowly to settle and meet Tony's gaze. "_I attempt… nothing… at the demand of… another," _he breathed.

A smile pulled at the corner of Tony's mouth. Languidly, Loki slipped back into oblivion as swiftly as he's emerged; eyes closing and lips remaining parted. _Shit._ Tony's eyes shot to the monitors. Everything remained stable. Just sleeping. He released a breath he didn't know he was holding.

_Even in this state you're capable of giving me a heart attack, you bastard._

~oOo~

The hazy light and the pain in his neck told him that he was awake. Bleary-eyed, he lifted his head, wincing at the bolt of resistance shooting down and across his shoulders, to find himself still in the Med Room, slumped over the arm of the chair. The sensation in his left arm was dulled - numbed from where he'd been lying across it – and he found his hand still resting on Loki's; cool, but not unpleasantly so. As he moved is hand away his palm bristled in protest to the temperature change.

_Well that's new_.

"I hope I did not wake you, Anthony."

Tony lazily looked round to find Thor leaning against the wall, is head bowed and one hand running nervously through his stubble. He looked up at Tony from under knotted eyebrows, stepping off the wall to stand on the opposite side of the bed.

"No, no," he yawned, stretching. "Did you, uh-?" _Shit, what do I say to the guy?_ It appeared Thor wasn't listening anyway. He reached down to move a stray lock of hair from Loki's face, each movement more gentle than any he had seen from the god before. His expression was overwhelming; questions and rage and pain and regret laid bare in a single look.

Tony couldn't begin to imagine what he was feeling.

"Have you seen him like this before?" Tony asked quietly, gesturing with a shallow nod to Loki. "In this…form?"

Thor nodded weakly. "Once. A long time ago." He retreated into silence, his eyes wandering to watch Loki's face, reacting to the small movements of his jaw with each breath. Tony found his eyes following Thor's, settling on the minute movements of the dark lips.

"Loki believes I have abandoned him as a lost cause," Thor began. "He is wrong. He believes that because our claim to brotherhood has been proven false, then all we once held to be true is false."

He looked up suddenly. Tony met his gaze.

"The Jotun that circumvented your defences was no simple assassin, Anthony Stark. He named Loki 'blood-brother'."

"Wait, wha…"

Tony's heart sank as he realised the meaning behind Thor's words. He remembered the way the god's face had contorted when the Jotun had spoken, snapped a taunt and a threat.

"Make no mistake, Stark," Thor warned. "Though Loki has no blood ties to the throne of Asgard his claim to that of Jotunheim is very real. His _threat_ to that of Jotunheim is very real, and it is my belief that the heirs of Laufey have decided to eliminate this threat."

"So that Jotun we found at his neck was…"

"His kin. His brother."

_Things just got a hell of a lot more complicated_.

"This is my own fault," Thor remarked, stepping away from the bed. "I should have seen this coming. I should have acted. The Jotuns' brutality is matched only by their tenacity; they will not cease in their hunt until they have his blood. Before the invasion he was safe, they paid no heed to the power-hungry musings of a bastard prince, doomed to fail. But now…"

"They've seen just how far he can go."

"Exactly. They've been witness to his power, his ambition. If he wanted to claim the throne of Jotunheim there is every possibility that he would succeed, and they know it. It terrifies them."

Tony sat back, trying to process it all. Put simply, they were in the shit. Big time. It was only a matter of time before they'd have Asgard at their backs, asking oh-so-nicely if they could have their inter-dimensional war criminal back, and in the meantime Tony had to deal with the one distinctly fucked-up family reunion and one wrathful SHIELD director.

"First things first," he said, counting on his fingers. "I need a drink. Secondly: so do you. Third: we need to work out some kind of rota – Loki needs around the clock defence if we stand any chance of warding the fuckers off. Fourth: we need to work out how the fuckers are getting in in the first place. JARVIS, darling! Get me some readings ready for analysis."

"Ready and waiting, Sir."

Despite himself, Thor smiled. "It seems the Jotuns have underestimated Loki's support."

"Damn right they have! We'll match them blow for blow."

~oOo~

Two glasses of scotch later Tony and Thor retreated to the workshop, leaving a reluctant Clint to play guard-dog. Thor had done his best to explain the situation to the others, and while it seemed to do nothing to lessen their distrust Tony was sure he could see understanding in their eyes for the first time since Loki arrived. He supposed having your safety threatened by an unpredictable enemy will do that to people; right now, a docile and seemingly harmless Loki was the lesser of two evils compared to what was actively trying to kill him.

The lights awoke as they entered, greeting Tony like an old friend. A sequence of hand gestures brought holographic diagrams and graphic-filled screens to life and a smile to his lips. Thor wandered in behind him, unsure at first but seeming to relax when he saw how at ease Tony was.

"Right, Jotuns," Tony remarked, dropping unceremoniously into a swivel-chair. He picked up a screwdriver, turning it in his fingers aimlessly. "Frosty, ruthless assholes. So, temperature's one thing we have on our side. An advanced temperature sensor would be our logical starting point."

He fell silent for a moment, tapping the screwdriver against his chin.

Thor looked thoughtful. "It is possible that a blood sample would be useful." Tony looked up. "Perhaps there is something in the Jotun bloodline that allows for concealment; Loki has been able to perform such acts on a number of occasions."

Tony nodded to himself. "If there's something I could isolate…a gene – or magic, whatever – then I could develop a screening system specifically calibrated. I like the way you think."

Thor smiled. "I am happy to be of assistance."

Tony smirked to himself. _Jotuns, do your worst._

~oOo~

For the next few days, Tony's workshop was more than his sanctuary – it became his home. He left only in the evenings to hear the day's update on Loki's condition, and even then only for an hour before he'd slink back into his pit. According to Bruce, Fury had been checking up on 'the situation' daily, which was all the encouragement Tony needed to keep his head down and work on the new defences. Apparently the good director had decided to avoid making their 'little problem' known to SHIELD for as long as possible; Tony hoped that was a good sign. With Fury it was always hard to tell.

Increasing the sensitivity of the thermo-sensors proved to be easier than expected, so he'd moved on to upgrading the security cameras to produce two images: one visual, one heat-sensitive. Once completed, he hoped to display both images of a live feed in the lounge, perhaps one in the workshop as well. Until he could compare Loki's blood sample with that of another Jotun, of which there had been a distinct lack since the first attack, there was little more he could do than take precautions.

_Damn, _that was frustrating.

"Ah, fuck!" He recoiled his hand as a searing bolt grasped his nerves, the circuit board sparking. No, frustrated didn't cover it. It was infuriating. He sat back in his chair, throwing his tools down and wiping his face. For the first time in his life, Tony Stark felt useless. He was working, yes, but it wasn't enough – he wasn't like Bruce, he couldn't heal wounds, save lives. One thing he could do was protect, but it seemed even _his_ defences were rendered useless when faced with …

…well that was the problem. He didn't know.

And then there was that all too familiar feeling: distraction, creeping in at the edge of his consciousness. Only this time the source eluded him.

_Brilliant._

He started when JARVIS cut through the silence. "Sir, Doctor Banner on the intercom for you."

He rose, shutting the panel he was working on. "Sure, patch him through."

_"Tony?"_

"Talk to me, buddy! You coping without me?"

_"If I told you we were fine would it take the shine off your ego?"_

"Of course," Tony gasped, feigning horror. "I'd never be able to return to the surface world, knowing life…" he sniffed, "…goes on without me."

_"In which case we're a smoking wreck. If only there was a brilliant scientist who could return to humanity and save us all," _Bruce mocked, dryly. _"But seriously, are you planning on coming up at any point? It's freaking me out how quiet it is."_

"Awwww, are you missing me, Brucey?"

_"Oh, shut up. How's it going down there? We online yet?"_

"Almost. Give me a couple of hours and I'll have finished messing about with the circuitry."

_"Tony…"_

"I'll be back soon, baby, I promise!" He paused for a moment. "How's the patient?"

_"Not woken up since the other night. Still blue. But all the signs show he's recovering, just more slowly than I expected. Right now it's not him I'm worried about - you eaten today?"_

"Yes."

_"You're a terrible liar, Tony Stark."_

"Am not! I stole a Pop Tart off Blondie when he came down this morning!" Tony chimed, matter-of-factly.

_"So long as you don't die down there because I'll have to clean up the mess, plus Fury would never let me hear the end of it. And FYI, Clint says that if you don't resurface for this evening's update he's taking over the master suite."_

"That son-of-a-bitch! And judging from the way his eye twitched the other day I don't think Papa Fury would give a shit if I decided to play hermit down here for the rest of my days anyway."

_"Actually he seemed pretty calm earlier." _

"Calm like the eye of a storm, or calm-calm?"

_"Hard to tell. He told me he wants to talk to you, 'at your convenience'."_

_Shit. _"This can either be really good or really bad."

_"I wouldn't want to be you right now, put it that way."_

"Gee, thanks man. You always know how to make me feel better. Oh, and tell Clint that if he even thinks about touching my stuff I will personally snap every arrow in his precious little quiver and use his bow-string as dental floss."

_"Tell him yourself! That is, assuming you'll be gracing us with your presence this evening?"_

"But all the other kids get to stay out late!" Tony whined.

_"See you later, Tony."_

There was a short tone telling him Bruce had disconnected, leaving him suddenly all too aware of the silence of the empty workshop. And of how tired he was. It descended upon him as a yawn and a wave of lethargy that made even the smallest movement an effort as he packed his remaining tools away. It wasn't hard to see why – he'd caught snatches of sleep here and there, but for the most part caffeine had done its job and kept him alert enough to work.

A second yawn escaped him.

The circuit boards could wait.

~oOo~


End file.
